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Saint Paul holds public hearing on major Robert Street reconstruction; community urges oversight and small-business protections
Summary
MnDOT and Saint Paul officials presented a full reconstruction plan for Robert Street from Annapolis to Kellogg; community members endorsed reconstruction for safety but pressed for an accountability task force, business mitigation and better construction management.
The Saint Paul City Council held a public hearing on a Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) proposal to reconstruct Robert Street from Annapolis Street north toward Kellogg Boulevard, with city staff and MnDOT project managers presenting plans and answering questions.
MnDOT project manager Chris Bauer said the project evolved from a resurfacing to a full reconstruction after a 2020 review found worn infrastructure, safety problems and the corridorplanned G Line BRT and bike-route designations. "We were awarded $32,000,000 in federal grants to pay for all of this work," Bauer said, listing community outreach steps including nine public meetings, three surveys with more than 2,000 responses and monthly office hours.
The Westside community urged the council to attach an oversight mechanism to municipal consent. Monica Bravo, executive director of the Westside Community Organization (WESCO), told the council she supports reconstruction but asked that the council "officially recognize the Robert Street Accountability Task Group" to provide regular engagement between MnDOT, city staff, businesses and residents and to help prevent displacement of local small businesses.
Business owners and residents described both safety hazards and the potential disruption caused by lengthy construction. John Traxler, co-owner of Captain Ken's Foods on Robert Street, asked for guarantees of uninterrupted truck access and continuous utility service during construction, citing the business's food-processing certification and reliance on dock access. Multiple speakers linked concerns about construction impacts to lessons learned from the Arcade Street project and asked MnDOT and the city to improve construction communication and remediation.
Council members and staff repeatedly framed the project as needed investment for a corridor that has received little major reconstruction in decades. St. Paul Public Works' Reuben Collins called the project "a really sizable, and great investment" and emphasized that municipal consent for MnDOT is a procedural step: "there is no action required of city council today," Collins said, noting municipal consent would return to council at a later meeting with an implementing resolution.
Council President Naker and other members endorsed the concept of the accountability task force and pledged to participate and to seek formal language for municipal consent that would memorialize oversight commitments. "We need to make sure this investment is done right," Naker said, and she committed her office to the task force.
MnDOT and city staff also addressed design topics raised repeatedly by residents: whether a roundabout is preferable to a traffic signal at Curtis Street, options to preserve parking, and how to maintain access to businesses during construction. Bauer said MnDOT favored a roundabout to slow speeds but committed to continue evaluating parking and construction mitigation and to work with the neighborhood organization.
The public hearing closed with council members thanking residents and stakeholders; the council will consider municipal consent language and the accountability task force in a future meeting, at which a formal vote on municipal consent is expected.
